Fork & Salad, the fast-growing Hawai‘i-inspired healthy fast-casual concept, brings the “Aloha Spirit” to the mainland with its first of many stateside locations at 240 W. Chapman Avenue in Orange, California, celebrating its grand opening on Friday, June 21. In addition to feeding the people of Orange, the location will serve as the concept’s mainland headquarters and franchise training facility.
Customer demand for healthy fast-casual concepts has driven strong growth for Fork & Salad. Founded on the Hawaiian island of Maui in 2016 by successful chefs Jaron Blosser, Cody Christopher and Travis Morrin, the eatery aims to make healthy food affordable and accessible with tasty, nutritious ingredients and recipes inspired by the islands. After the first location opened in Kīhei, Maui, the community responded with one word: MORE! The co-owners listened, adding a second location on the island, recently named one of three best new restaurants in Hawai‘i in Hawai‘i Business Magazine’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards. Fork & Salad’s expansion to the mainland is a natural fit, bringing unique flavors to California while allowing the eatery to maintain its strong commitment to quality ingredients, customer convenience and healthy lifestyles, all set in a casual, convenient and comfortable space.
“We were completely charmed by Old Towne Orange from the beginning. The way its culture not only respects the past, but also welcomes the future as an emerging area, makes it the perfect match for our mainland headquarters,” said co-owner Morrin. “Our vision has always been to redefine the possibilities of farm-to-table cuisine. With the strength of Fransmart behind us, we’re confident you’ll see Fork & Salad first across California and then sprout up organically across the country and around the world.”
Fork & Salad touts more than 50 fresh ingredients, a variety of gluten-free selections, signature salads and sandwiches, build-your-own options and healthy beverages like house made teas and organic kombucha – all inspired by Maui. Each location also establishes local relationships with suppliers, sourcing locally as often as possible. Its Orange location will feature Santa Ana’s Bread Artisan Bakery for sandwiches and salad breads and San Diego-based Bootstrap Kombucha on draft, among others.
The Orange location will also unveil the Orange Home Grown Seasonal Salad on grand opening day, as part of its give back program. A portion of the proceeds from the salad will be donated to the Orange Home Grown Foundation, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing awareness of healthy living and urban agriculture to the local community. The signature salad will feature produce from the Orange Home Grown Farmers and Artisans Market in historic Old Towne Orange.
Fork & Salad is partnering with Fransmart, the industry-leading franchise development company behind the explosive growth of brands like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, The Halal Guys, and Qdoba Mexican Grill, as their exclusive franchise development partner to grow the brand in California – and beyond. The concept is currently looking for experienced multi-unit foodservice operators to develop franchise territories in major markets. Those interested in joining the Fork & Salad ‘ohana as franchisees will receive training and support from start to finish, from site selection expertise and simple floor plans to custom training systems and localized brand building. To learn more about Fork & Salad franchising opportunities, please visit fransmart.com/fork-salad.
“In the franchise world, the next big opportunity for a concept to grow larger than 1,000 locations is healthy fast-casual,” said Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe, who happened to drive past Fork & Salad the day it opened on Maui two years ago. “It was love at first sight. This concept is the perfect blend of craveable, healthy food, lightning-fast speed, a simple operating model and genuine Hawaiian soul. Customers vote with their wallets and numbers here are strong – there is nothing like Fork & Salad.”
The Orange community is invited to grand opening day on June 21 from 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Celebrations will begin at 10:30 a.m. with an authentic Hawaiian blessing ceremony led by Maui cultural practitioner Kimokeo Kapahulehua to infuse the new space with “Aloha Spirit.” The first 200 customers in line will receive a free salad, grain bowl or sandwich. Additional discounts will be available throughout grand opening day, including a BOGO deal and 20% off food and beverage coupon.
To learn more and stay up-to-date on the latest happenings, find Fork & Salad on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To order delivery or pickup, download the free mobile app for iOS or Android, or visit forkandsaladmaui.com.
About Fork & Salad:
Fork & Salad is the fast-growing Hawai‘i-inspired healthy fast-casual concept making healthy food more affordable and accessible with more than 50 fresh ingredients, a variety of gluten-free selections, signature salads and sandwiches, build-your-own options and healthy beverages like house made teas and organic kombucha. Founded by co-owners and chefs Jaron Blosser, Cody Christopher and Travis Morrin with its first location in Kīhei on the Hawaiian island of Maui, demand for the concept stemmed continued growth, with the opening of a second Maui location and first mainland location in Orange, California. Fork & Salad was recently named one of three best new restaurants in Hawai‘i in Hawai‘i Business Magazine’s 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards. The brand was also named Best Healthy Restaurant on Maui in 2018 and Best New Restaurant on Maui in 2017 by MauiTime Weekly. For more information, visit forkandsaladmaui.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To learn about joining the Fork & Salad ‘ohana as a franchisee, visit fransmart.com/fork-salad.
